Origin of high H₂S concentrations in the Upper Permian Changxing reservoirs of the Northeast Sichuan Basin, China

Intense thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR) and up to 18% H₂S are found in the Upper Permian Changxing Formation (P₃ch) in the northeast (NE) Sichuan Basin, China, despite that rare gypsum or anhydrite was found in this formation. Here, we present new concentration data of carbonate-associated sulfate (CAS) from carbonate host rocks, C, O, and Sr isotope data for TSR-related calcites, and S isotope data for sulfur compounds obtained during this study. These data along with spatial-temporal changes in palaeogeopressure conditions, hydraulic conductivity and the physical capacity indicate that the H₂S was generated locally from TSR within the P₃ch reservoirs. We propose that the reactive sulfates were derived from CAS released during dolomitization and recrystallization of earlier dolomite within the P₃ch Fm. and from the cross-formational migration of evaporative brines from the Lower Triassic Feixianguan Formation (T₁f) to P₃ch Fm. Our calculation shows that the two sources could provide enough SO₄^2- for the generation of H₂S within the P₃ch reservoirs. Early downward migration of sulfate-rich evaporative brines from the T₁f formation occurred in near-surface and shallow burial diagenetic settings (mainly <1000m). The evaporative brines seeped into porous grainstones and displaced preexisting seawater, causing pervasive dolomitization within the P₃ch Fm. Subsequently, TSR calcites precipitated from the pore water have high Sr concentrations (up to 7767ppm), close to the T₁f TSR calcites, and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios mainly from 0.7074 to 0.7078, which are significantly higher than those of Late Permian seawater but within the range of early Triassic seawater.